33rd Annual Aloha Outrigger Races This Saturday | | |
The 33rd Annual Aloha Outrigger Races is this Saturday, September 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Wharf!
Join us for a day of fun in the sun to cheer on racers, watch some fierce competition in the water, enjoy beautiful hula performances, and celebrate the aloha spirit.
| | Participate in Coastal Cleanup Day on September 20 | | |
Annual Coastal Cleanup Day returns for its 41st Anniversary on Saturday, September 20, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at sites around the Monterey Bay. This event offers a fantastic opportunity to get outside with your fellow community members, clean up local habitats, and prevent trash from becoming harmful marine debris.
Register today to volunteer at your favorite Santa Cruz location!
| | Santa Cruz Triathlon Traffic Impact and Road Closures | | |
The City has authorized temporary road closures and detours in the Westside neighborhood on Sunday, September 21, for the 42nd Annual Santa Cruz Triathlon. Please use caution and plan your travels accordingly.
The following roads will be closed or controlled between 6:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
- West Cliff Drive from Depot Park to Swanton Blvd.
- Beach Street from Pacific Avenue to West Cliff Drive.
- Bay Street from West Cliff Drive to Laguna Street.
- Delaware Avenue from Swanton Blvd to Natural Bridges Drive.
- Natural Bridges Drive from Delaware Avenue to Mission Street.
- Mission Street from Western Drive to Shaffer Road.
- Western Drive from Mission Street to Highway 1.
- Shaffer Road between Highway 1 and Mission Street.
| | Hundreds Join First-Ever Race the Wave Event | | |
The City's first-ever Race the Wave 3K Run/Walk was a huge success! Over 200 community members came together on September 13 to run, walk and stroll from the Santa Cruz Wharf to Mission Park Plaza, where they were greeted with prizes, refreshments, and valuable resources at the Emergency Preparedness Fair.
Thank you to all the participants, City staff, and volunteers who helped make this a memorable event! We loved seeing so many smiling faces out on the course and spreading awareness about emergency preparedness!
Want to stay up to date on critical information during natural disasters, severe weather events, public safety concerns, and other emergencies? Sign up for CruzAware!
| | Enjoy Harvey West Pool Dip In Days Through September | | |
Enjoy Dip In Days at Harvey West Pool with FREE admission every weekend through the end of September. Stop by Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for family-friendly swim time, cool off, and have fun!
Advanced registration is not mandatory, but parent permission is required for youth under the age of 18. Anyone under the age of 18 will need to take a swim test to be able to swim in the deep end. Any non-swimmers must be within arm's reach of a parent or guardian at all times in or out of the water. The swim test consists of a 25-yard freestyle swim and 30 seconds of treading.
| | Upcoming Loch Lomond Events and Adjusted Hours | | |
Fall hours of operation are now in effect at Loch Lomond, with weekend-only hours through October 12 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Plan your last fishing, boating, picnicking or hiking excursion of the season today!
Season Schedule
- Sept. 1 - Oct. 12: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Weekends Only)
- Oct. 12: Season Closure (Reopens March 2026)
Upcoming Events
Save the date for the upcoming FREE events! Registration required. Sign up for Newell Jewel tours in the park store and call 831-335-7424 to register for Loch Walks.
- Oct. 4 - Loch Walk: Loch Lomond Fall Birding (9 a.m. -11 a.m.)
- Oct. 11 - Newell Jewel Tour (11 a.m. - 12 p.m.)
- Oct. 12 - Newell Jewel Tour (11 a.m. - 12 p.m.)
| | Celebrate Source Water Protection Week | | |
September 28 - October 4 is Source Water Protection Week, a national campaign led by the American Water Works Association to raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding rivers, streams, and reservoirs that provide our drinking water.
The Santa Cruz Water Department is proud to provide 100% locally sourced water to customers. Our drinking water consists of local surface water and groundwater sources from the San Lorenzo River, Loch Lomond Reservoir, North Coast sources, and Beltz groundwater wells that are well-protected, carefully managed, and treated at drinking water treatment facilities.
Protecting these sources is essential to ensure clean, reliable water for our community today and for generations to come.
| | Join The Week Without Driving Challenge | | |
Join us for a Week Without Driving on September 29 - October 5! For many, getting around without driving is a daily challenge, not a choice. During a Week Without Driving, we’re ditching the driver’s seat to understand how communities serve those who walk, roll, bike, carpool or take transit. The goal? Learn. Adapt. Advocate. Let’s work toward streets that work for EVERYONE!
Join today to participate in:
- Reducing air pollution with fewer cars on the road.
- Improving your health by walking or biking.
- Saving money on gas and parking fees.
- Building community.
- Entering a raffle to win prizes!
Register at gosantacruzcounty.org and then log any bike, walk, transit or carpool trips during September 29 - October 5 to be automatically entered for a chance to win raffle prizes!
| | Wastewater Staff Complete Emergency Response Training | | |
The Public Works Wastewater team recently sharpened their skills with a specialized training on sanitary sewer emergency response and spill estimation.
This mandatory training ensures staff are prepared to accurately report any sanitary sewer overflow of one gallon or more. The session combined classroom learning with hands-on practice, providing the team with real-world experience in estimating spill volumes and enhancing their readiness to protect our community and environment.
| | Hop Aboard the Free Harbor Water Taxi This September | | |
Did you know that in an effort to provide additional access during the Murray Street Bridge construction, the free Harbor Water Taxi will continue operating through the end of September? In addition, new 2-hour free parking is available in Seabright area meter spaces.
Harbor Water Taxi Operating Hours
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Fridays: 3-8 p.m.
- Saturdays and Sundays: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Pick Up and Drop off Locations
- X-1 Gate
- AA Dock
- Launch Ramp
California State Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and Santa Cruz City Councilmember Sonja Brunner (District 2) recently boarded the free Harbor Water Taxi to visit local businesses around the Harbor and Seabright area. Watch their adventure in the video below!
| | Big News for San Lorenzo Park | | |
The San Lorenzo Park Redesign Final Report is here! This community-driven plan reflects input from 17 stakeholder meetings, 2 public surveys, multiple workshops, and numerous public meetings. Thank you to everyone who contributed their ideas.
Long-Term Vision for the Park:
- New ADA-accessible playgrounds (Lorenzo the serpent stays!).
- Colorful gardens and public art.
- Renovated restrooms and updated infrastructure for events.
- Recreation spaces for all ages.
- Concerts, festivals, and community gatherings in the upper park.
- Restored riverlands to support wildlife habitat.
Due to safety and sustainability concerns, the duck pond will not be part of the long-term plan. Instead, all six acres of the riverlands will be restored as a natural habitat, with City staff working collaboratively with Native American Tribal Communities to guide the restoration efforts.
This is a community-driven vision to create a safe, welcoming, and vibrant park for everyone. Stay tuned for more updates.
| | Contact Planning Prior to Purchasing Property | | |
Did you know? You can (and should!) contact the City Planning and Community Development Department prior to purchasing a property to determine the parcel’s resources and constraints, potential development options, and the development potential of adjacent properties that could affect your property in the future.
State laws now make it possible for developers to build larger and more dense multi-family and mixed-use developments without on-site parking, and allow for by-right variations to site and design standards, such as setbacks and height. For example, while the zoning ordinance or area plan may prescribe a three-story maximum height, state laws, including the state density bonus law, could allow for a much taller building with no discretion from the City. Additionally, state laws now allow for increased density within Single-Family Residential zone districts through multi-family development and/or Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
Contact the Planning and Community Development Department at (831) 420- 5416 or planningcounter@santacruzca.gov for a prepurchase inquiry or to ask questions about your existing property. Counter hours are 7:30-11:30 a.m., Monday through Thursday.
| | Downtown Library Capital Campaign Update | |
Thanks to community support, the Santa Cruz Public Libraries have completed renovations or replacement of nine of its ten branches within just ten years. Construction of the new Downtown branch marks the final upgrade - a once-in-a-generation investment and the hub of the entire Library system!
With the first phase of the Santa Cruz Library & Affordable Housing Project underway (and fully funded), the Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ Downtown Library Capital Campaign provides an opportunity for everyone to help complete the final phase of the project.
The Friends’ Downtown Library Capital Campaign has raised almost $2.2 million towards their $3 million goal!
With the help of a $400,000 matching grant from the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, every gift to the campaign right now is doubled. You can honor your family, highlight your business, or recognize someone special on the Donor Wall with a gift of $1,000 or more.
The Downtown Library is designed to grow with the needs of our community, whatever the future brings. Together, we will support and share this equitable, vibrant, civic achievement. Everyone can be a Friend to the new Downtown Library.
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